About Paraguay

Forest and water riches

Located in the heart of South America, Paraguay is a subtropical country - a relatively small one compared to its neighbours Argentina and Brazil.

The capital, Asuncion, is located right in the centre of the Southern Common Market, Mercosur, which includes Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, with close ties to Chile and Bolivia.

Several decades ago, Paraguay, together with Brazil, constructed one of the largest hydroelectric plants in the world - Itaipu Binacional. Another dam, called Yacyreta Binacional, was constructed on Paraguay's border with Argentina. Paraguay's hydroelectric power is considerable and very important for the region.

A young and energetic population
But Paraguay has an even larger potential power - that of its human population. Today, 70% of its population is under 30 years of age, many of whom have formed a number of organizations that have begun to manage a new country dedicated to the environment and conservation of its natural riches.

Atlantic Forests - A Global 200 Ecoregion
In Paraguay, WWF concentrates its efforts in the Atlantic Forest ecoregion, one of the most endangered rain forests in the world. In South America, the Atlantic Forest rivals the Amazon forest as one of the Earth's most biologically diverse ecosystems.

The Atlantic Forest is important for the conservation of the ecological processes that sustain life, and it is located right over one of the most important underground reserves of freshwater on our planet - the Guarani Aquifer.